IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Michigan => Ice Fishing Michigan => Topic started by: Higgins on Jan 07, 2008, 04:04 PM
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I love fishing Higgins lake for their perch and smelt and I always see the big lakers come through and scare my dinner away. And accept for the obvious of fishing for lakers where I fish for perch, does any one know of a real good place to catch them. I'm pretty familiar with the lake so bring on the hot spot....PLEASE......
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higgin
my brother and i have a cabin near taffel town (fife lake area).lucky him he moved up their over the summer works for cat in kalkaska.this season sometime i would like to do a trip to higgins(we never been)
on higgins is their any place you would not go on the lake (unsafe area's from springs or anything)
1-any hint's on parking
2-how hard is the walk to a decent fishing area
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Depending on how serious you are you really should have a snow mobile. Me and my dad go up a few times a year and we stay over night at a hotel rite next to the lake and we used to walk and when I say used to we did it twice then bought an old snow mobile just for are trips we go on. The best place that we have found for perch is on the south end near the sunken island in about 60 ft of water also killer for smelt at night but since its not by smeltville you might want to get a submersible light and as for the springs once the lake has safe ice it gets thick real quick, where talking over 2 1/2 ft. Parking is at the very south end of the lake in a state park. Hope I helped good luck
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There is also a launch on the west shore (DNR operated) with parking right close to the usual smeltville location
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thanks for the info,i guess i need to find a used snowmobile.
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Looks like no one is giving up the laker hot spots. Has any ice started in Higgins?
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Looks like no one is giving up the laker hot spots. Has any ice started in Higgins?
I'm not surprised that people aren't talking, because they get lakers up to 30LBS and with that kinda size you keep the good spots hush hush :-X. But I'm gonna go make my own good spots and I might post some personal messages, to those who are looking ;)
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Send me a pm if you find them. I never fished higgins so I don't have a clue about the lake. I may have to head north to find good ice and if I knew a couple good spots I'd head that way. I'm from the Downriver area and have no ice.
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Id be interested in Laker fishing Higgins as well. I caught my first Laker on ice last winter while walleye fishing Saginaw Bay. Talk about a riot....I definitely want to do more of that! My Dad and I have fished it for perch, but never lakers. I havent fished there since i was quite young, so i dont have any viable information to offer.
...But, heres my take on the situation....Lake trout are predatory fish, so id imagine a good approach would be to fish the drop offs. And where the drop offs occurr i would bet the Lakers will be suspended at the same depth, just off the break over the open water. Theyre probably on the prowl for any unsuspecting bait that ventures out into the open water. Then when the feeds on they probably come up onto the shallower flats to forage. Another approach may be to fish them right on or near bottom in the deeper waters..I may be dead wrong, but when i venture up that way thats how im going to approach it until i learn otherwise. I also plan to employ a run and gun technique like i use for walleyes to try and locate them....if they get ice up there, that is.
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Hey guys I have only been going up their for 5 years now, but in that time I know that lake gets the good ice in feb and since its only jan 14 im not going to push the panic button yet. I hear you guys though cause ive got my finger close to the button just in case and then I might have to use a floating dock. :D ;) ;D
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I hope they get some ice. We are planning our Smelt Camp trip for Feb 2 and 3rd!! The cabin is around the Harrison area and so worse comes to worse, we will just fish around that area.
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I hope they get some ice. We are planning our Smelt Camp trip for Feb 2 and 3rd!! The cabin is around the Harrison area and so worse comes to worse, we will just fish around that area.
myson and i are very interested in this smelville...hes 8 and i never been smelt fishing....sounds like a riot...just gonna have to go this year.....wanna laugh..i pay 1.77lb for smelt at our grocery store for the son everytime smelt is in..
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myson and i are very interested in this smelville...hes 8 and i never been smelt fishing....sounds like a riot...just gonna have to go this year.....wanna laugh..i pay 1.77lb for smelt at our grocery store for the son everytime smelt is in..
It is real cool 8) to see about 50 shanty's in such a small area(one of the shanty's even has a sleeping area and a totally separate fishing area,its called big daddy black shack)and with the ice lite up like the sun was under it. But with that said if you can find a submersible light(www.fishinglightsetc.c om)you might want to stay away from the pack because some times they don't like it too bright and don't just rely on the smelt cause some nights there on and others their not so take your time and fish the perch and lakers too. O yeah if you have a vex or can borrow one bring it for the smelt because their always suspended. If you decide to go I can promise you that you will not regret it, IM HOOKED ON THAT LAKE and I live 220 miles away.
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This is one of the prettiest lakes in Michigan, we had a cabin on the north side... i think.. right around the island and trust me the rock bass even taste good out of that spring fed lake. I really am interested in ice fishing it have only fished it open water, sounds as if it gets better in the winter.
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Best Place??? Everywhere lakers can be hauled onto the ice on Higgins. Sure some places are better than others but Ive seen them caught all over the place or heard of it happening for that matter. 4 yrs ago at our road end a guy caught 2 of them while perch fishing w/ an ultralight rod and 2lb test. 29''er and a 34"er!!! Ain't B.S.ing you. A friend of ours from up there (local folk) was a scuba instructor on Higgins NW end yrs. ago, he told us that he's been down deep and in some places that he's seen lakers in there that would scare the >:D out of you, make you scared to go swimming ,40" plus size. Also some pike over 50". Good luck on the pike though they are well trained and almost smart. Not kidding. My uncle has watched pike on the Aqua view and thrown everything at them.
I would try a deep drop off, near a ledge with some sort of veggies or structure. Catch smelt the night before for live bait for sure.
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This is one of the prettiest lakes in Michigan, we had a cabin on the north side... i think.. right around the island and trust me the rock bass even taste good out of that spring fed lake. I really am interested in ice fishing it have only fished it open water, sounds as if it gets better in the winter.
Yeah, that is a pretty lake. One thing that upset the hell out of me was when we did our "Smelt Camp" last year for the first time, I was shocked to see the amount of trash left behind on the lake. It disgusts me. Don't people have any respect for their natural resources? I hope I don't see that much trash up there this year, that is if she freezes by the 2nd and 3rd of Feb. :-[
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yea that sucks you get that many people on a lake for a known occasion that crap happens they cant all be good anglers, I am sure Houghton gets it worse. In the summer on a calm day you can see the bottom in 40 plus fow. Its is sweet to see the cylinders of perch coming under your boat.
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Yeah, my buddy has a cabin over in St. Helen. During the hot summer days up there, we usually head to Higgins with his boat......like everybody else. It does get busy up there for an "up north" lake. One big party.
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Yeah, my buddy has a cabin over in St. Helen. During the hot summer days up there, we usually head to Higgins with his boat......like everybody else. It does get busy up there for an "up north" lake. One big party.
I go up their about 2 to 3 times a year but only in the winter and it seems that even on the weekends that lake doesn't get very much fishing pressure. Especially on the south end where I like to go
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I go up their about 2 to 3 times a year but only in the winter and it seems that even on the weekends that lake doesn't get very much fishing pressure. Especially on the south end where I like to go
every one goes to houghton and it stays fairly quiet in the winter
Yeah, my buddy has a cabin over in St. Helen. During the hot summer days up there, we usually head to Higgins with his boat......like everybody else. It does get busy up there for an "up north" lake. One big party.
\
But in the summer it is a big party......crystal clear waters, sandy beaches, nice boats and lots of bikinis :laugh: ;D
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The trash that people leave on the ice by shantytown is unbelivable. Last year when the ice was about to go out I drove down to the west launch and all the ice was a nice blue color except where shanty town was, that are looked like a dump complete with yellow ice. The last few years I quit fishing in that area because of the trash that was being left behind. I started fishing during the day for smelt and had a better and more quiet time than night fishing. Many times you could not see the bottom because there were so many smelt. I also seen a lot of lakers but they usually came thru about midday.
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I was down by the west side launch yesterday and the lake had a skim of ice over about 2/3 of it. Some very large areas had snow on top out toward the island.
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every one goes to houghton and it stays fairly quiet in the winter\
But in the summer it is a big party......crystal clear waters, sandy beaches, nice boats and lots of bikinis :laugh: ;D
Higgins "The Bahamas of Michigan" that can be the slogan for Higgins in the summer :D :D :D
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"The Bahamas of Michigan"
Yea thats a winner.
I think that they filmed the music video redneck yatch club there. :D
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The trash that people leave on the ice by shantytown is unbelivable. Last year when the ice was about to go out I drove down to the west launch and all the ice was a nice blue color except where shanty town was, that are looked like a dump complete with yellow ice. The last few years I quit fishing in that area because of the trash that was being left behind. I started fishing during the day for smelt and had a better and more quiet time than night fishing. Many times you could not see the bottom because there were so many smelt. I also seen a lot of lakers but they usually came thru about midday.
I know what you mean scout 2. I stopped going to smeltville and started fishing for them during the day on the south end when I fish for perch. I just bought a new light so im going to try at night also at the south end because the south end has always treated me well. How about you.
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I go off the State Parkonthe North side but have been thinking about trying a few different areas this year if the lake freezes over good. Where do you usually go of the South side?
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I go off the State Parkonthe North side but have been thinking about trying a few different areas this year if the lake freezes over good. Where do you usually go of the South side?
I SENT YOU A P.M.
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There is a state park at the very south end too but people always just park on the streets because the good spot is aways north of the park.
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I know where that spot is and maybe will have to give it a try. I have been over there in that area in the summer with the boat.Thanks for the info
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Scout 2 sent you a PM. :)
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I was down by the west side launch yesterday and the lake had a skim of ice over about 2/3 of it. Some very large areas had snow on top out toward the island.
That's what I'm wanting to hear. Might have ice by February then.
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That's what I'm wanting to hear. Might have ice by February then.
We all need to have a positive attitude and believe that the ice gods will bring the hard stuff and maybe some bowing will help so here it goes :bow: :bow: :bow: . It may seem crazy :cookoo: but I will do "what ever it takes". I love those deep clear lakes.
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Sounds like a lot of members will be fishing Higgins this year. It would be cool for some of us to meet up there at some point. Or maybe we should buy Team Ice Shanty flags and represent while we are fishing the lake. Just a thought.
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Higgins was capped over partly this weekend but according to locals not safe yet winds chills there was -25 all weekend.
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Higgins was capped over partly this weekend but according to locals not safe yet winds chills there was -25 all weekend.
Thats funny, I talked to 2 locals last night who fished it yesterday, on 6" of ice over 40 fow. B T W ,they are family so I don't think they would lie to me. Heard the NW side is spotty and almost ready 2-3". Not trying to be rude. Call some baitshops.
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Thats funny, I talked to 2 locals last night who fished it yesterday, on 6" of ice over 40 fow. B T W ,they are family so I don't think they would lie to me. Heard the NW side is spotty and almost ready 2-3". Not trying to be rude. Call some baitshops.
I'm with you Sightfisher mainly because I like what you are telling me ;D and if your wrong then you are going to have a real bad :%$#!: weekend so either way 6" of ice should be there when I come Feb 2 ;)2 .
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Thats funny, I talked to 2 locals last night who fished it yesterday, on 6" of ice over 40 fow. B T W ,they are family so I don't think they would lie to me. Heard the NW side is spotty and almost ready 2-3". Not trying to be rude. Call some baitshops.
That was the report I got from Lyman's Sunday. Did not go the lake so was just passing what I had heard. :) :)